Fuzzy Math At Work: Dog Food, Towels, Bagels, Muffins

Fuzzy math: it’s not cuddly numbers, but what happens when you add up bulk pricing at a major retailer and things just don’t add up. Buying things in bulk is supposed to make things cheaper. Putting things on sale is supposed to make them cheaper, too. In the real world, that isn’t always the case.

Kyle found this fuzzy bagel math at the grocery store. No, the bagels aren’t fuzzy, but the math is weird.

“Martin’s (a division of Giant Foods) sells fresh bagels for 59¢ each…but a half dozen in a bag is $3.99…save -39¢!”

Also, the bagels have apparently become muffins.

Jeff was shopping for dog food at Walmart and noticed some odd pricing. It’s cheaper to buy twelve meals ($4.67) than to buy twenty-four ($10.48).

Another reader spotted this sale at CVS…that isn’t a sale.

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist